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A nose that won’t stop running isn’t just annoying; it can affect your quality of life. “If you’ve got a runny nose that you constantly have to sniff up or use a tissue—that has a significant impact on the way you feel throughout the entire day,” says Dr. William Reisacher, an otolaryngologist (also known as an ear, nose, and throat doctor, or ENT) specializing in allergies at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
There’s a medical definition for a nose that runs like a faucet. Persistent or chronic rhinitis is a runny nose that lasts longer than 12 weeks, says Dr. Natalie Earl, an otolaryngologist at the Centers for Advanced ENT Care—Feldman ENT Division in Maryland and Washington, D.C. The condition is also called chronic rhinorrhea.
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The mucus “can be clear, runny, watery, thick, and/or colorful,” Earl says, and it usually takes medication to dry up the drainage.
That’s different from an acute cause of a runny nose, she says. Dripping from a cold, for example, will usually stop on its own “within a few days to less than 4 weeks,” she says.
While a chronic runny nose probably isn’t the most serious health concern you’ve ever dealt with, you don’t have to put up with the sniffles in silence. “Runny nose is one of those conditions where people often will not talk about it because, while it’s really bothersome to them…it seems like a trivial problem,” Reisacher says. “They come in almost apologetic for having to bother me with such a ‘nuisance,’ where that’s exactly what my field addresses.”
Talk to a health care professional any time you’re concerned about a runny nose that won’t quit, he says. That way, you can figure out what might be causing your symptoms and find something that brings you relief.
Here are some of the most common causes of runny nose.
Allergies
Allergies are a major reason for a constant runny nose, Earl says. But you can typically tell if you’re having an allergic reaction because it comes with a host of other symptoms, namely “sneezing, nasal itching, and nasal obstruction,” she says. “Some people will also experience itching, tearing, and/or burning of the eyes.”
Weather changes
Temperature, air pressure, and other weather fluctuations can all set off a drippy nose, and if the environment where you live changes enough, you might feel like you’re constantly sniffing, Reisacher says. “The nose is a thermometer, it’s a hygrometer, it’s a barometer. It will react in a way that certainly gets our attention.”
The same goes for other changes in your environment, such as construction nearby that stirs up irritating dirt and dust, he says.
Medications
Certain prescription medications, such as beta-blockers used to treat high blood pressure, are famous for causing a runny nose as a side effect, Reisacher says. Hormonal birth control can trigger similar symptoms, per the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI).
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Changes in the type or dose of medication you’re taking could result in a persistent runny nose, he adds.
Structural problems
An ENT is trained to look inside and around your nose for structural abnormalities that could be causing your symptoms, Reisacher says. You may have nasal polyps, small growths in the nose’s lining, or a deviated septum, when the wall between your nostrils leans more to one side, according to Stanford Medicine.
Pregnancy
So many body parts change during pregnancy, and your nose is no exception. Hormone fluctuations expand blood vessels to help deliver nutrients to your growing baby, Reisacher explains, but “the tissues inside the nose also get affected by that, and they leak more fluid.”
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Typically starting in the second trimester, you may feel like you suddenly developed allergies when you never had allergies before, he says, or like you’re constantly stuffed-up and sniffly.
What to do about it
You don’t have to wait through weeks of sniffling before you talk to someone about your symptoms. “You should call or message your doctor whenever you feel concerned,” Reisacher says.
You can try over-the-counter saline or steroid nasal sprays and oral antihistamines on your own, especially if you think you might have allergies, Earl says. But the wall of options at the pharmacy can be daunting; if you could use more guidance, it might be helpful to ask your doctor for some suggestions first.
If you don’t get any relief from these meds in two weeks, it’s time to see a health care professional, Earl says.
Talk to your doctor about any recent changes to the medications you’re taking, Reisacher says. They may be able to suggest ways to reduce this side effect or deal with the drippage.
Discuss your environment and any changes to your surroundings, too, he says. It’s important to run through all the potential triggers of your runny nose because “there’s no blood test that will give you that answer,” he says. You can be tested for allergies, of course, but otherwise, it may take a skilled physician interpreting your detailed medical history to suss out—and treat—the root of your discomfort.
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